


Making Amends

by zach_stone



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: AU - Josh lives, awkward attempts at bonding
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-24
Updated: 2015-10-24
Packaged: 2018-04-27 19:42:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5061535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zach_stone/pseuds/zach_stone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>An exploration of what would've happened if Mike hadn't let Josh get taken by the Wendigo in the mines; there's a lot of bad blood between them, and he's going to attempt to fix things in his own bumbling Mike way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Making Amends

**Author's Note:**

> tbh I just really wanted to write what happened in the shed after Chris left, and then it kind of got away from me and now there's this. not exactly shippy but like, it could be the prelude to that if you want it to be.

Mike would quite literally rather be anywhere than sitting in this dark shed with Josh for the rest of the night. He thinks enviously of Chris, who got to go back to the warm -- albeit creepy -- lodge, and wonders if maybe he should have let Chris stay here instead. But no, that would have been a bad move; Chris just doesn’t have the disposition to be aggressive, especially not with Josh. And the last thing any of them needs is Josh coercing Chris into letting him go. God only knows what Josh would do then.

Speaking of the resident nutjob, Mike thinks he’s been oddly quiet. His head hanging slightly, Josh hasn’t uttered a word for the past few minutes, just staring at the ground, lips moving soundlessly as he says who knows what to himself.

Mike leans up against one of the pillars in the shed, exhaling slowly. Josh starts to whine.

“Hey, put a sock in it,” Mike snaps. The other boy continues to whimper. “What the hell is your problem?”

“My shoulder hurts,” Josh says through gritted teeth. Oh, right. Apparently Ashley had given Josh a pretty gnarly stab wound with some scissors earlier. Mike watches with a vindictive pleasure as the bloodstain on Josh’s shoulder blossoms out further.

“Good,” he grunts. “You deserve it after what you did.”

“Oh, Christ,” Josh says. “I already _fucking_ told you, I didn’t do shit to Jessica!”

“Look, I don’t know if you were bullshitting before because Chris was here, but it’s just you and me now, bud. And I saw what you did. So quit fucking lying to my face!” Mike snarls. Josh looks at him then, and to Mike’s disgust there’s a smile on his lips.

“Oh poor little Mikey,” he says in a sing-song voice. “Not so fun when someone _you_ care about just disappears, is it?”

“Just shut the fuck up already,” Mike says, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“You know, I thought you were supposed to be a smart one,” Josh says, louder now. “But you’re reeeeal stupid. Maybe that’s what happened,” he adds, and his catlike grin makes Mike feel sick. “Jess realized just how terrifically stupid you are and she offed herself.”

He knows he shouldn’t take the bait, that Josh is just trying to get a rise out of him, but fuck it, he’s pissed and he’s looking for someone to take it out on. He lunges forward, getting right in Josh’s face again, gun surprisingly steady in his hand even though he’s shaking with rage. Josh chuckles, but Mike can see his eyes widen slightly in fear when the barrel of the gun presses against his chest.

“Are you gonna kill me, Michael?” Josh practically purrs.

“No Chris around to save your ass now,” Mike says. He’s not going to shoot Josh, that would be a dumb move, but he enjoys seeing the other boy’s manic smile falter.

“Can I ask you something? Before you pump me full of lead?”

Mike puts his free hand against the pillar, steadying himself. Josh takes that as a yes, because he continues.

“Mike, do you know the extreme _lengths_ I went through to pull tonight off?”

“I don’t give a shit--”

“Oh no, no, let me finish. I had to be around every corner, to make sure Chris and Ashley and Sam were being good little puppets. I had to control doors and candles and projectors from a hidden room. I had to chase and drag three of our lovely little friends through the lodge. I have not had a moment’s _rest_ , Michael, since we got here. And that little cabin you went off to fuck Jess in? It’s pretty goddamn far away, wouldn’t you say?” Josh’s voice has gone icy, and it’s even more terrifying than his sneering laughter from before. “So tell me, since you’re so smart, how the _fuck_ would I have been able to kill Jessica? Huh?”

Mike falters, leaning slightly away from Josh. He has a point. But if Josh didn’t do it, then who the fuck did? He opens his mouth to retort, when a girl’s scream pierces the air. Both boys startle at the sound, and Mike stands upright, hurrying over to the doorway of the shed and peering out into the night. “What the hell was that?” he says. He turns to look at Josh. “This more of your shit?”

“No,” Josh says, and he looks concerned enough that Mike almost believes him. He turns away again and steps out of the shed. “Wait!” Josh calls, a tinge of panic in his voice. “Where are you going?”

“I’m going to the lodge to see who was screaming,” he says.

“You’re just gonna leave me here?” Josh yells at Mike’s retreating back.

“I’ll be right back!” Mike replies.

“Sure it’s a good idea to leave the psycho all alone?” Josh taunts, but the slight tremor in his voice gives him away. He’s freaked out. This solidifies for Mike that whatever’s going on now, it’s not Josh’s handiwork. He hesitates in the doorway.

“You’ll be fine,” he says finally, and then he rushes off without sparing another glance at Josh.

All things considered, Mike thinks later, that was something of a mistake.

* * *

In the dank, echoey caverns of the mines, Mike can’t help but wonder what kind of shitty luck got him stuck as the sole guardian of a less-than-sane Josh for the second time that night. At least now he’s not verbally attacking Mike; he’s more like a lost child at this point, just stumbling after Mike as they make their way back to the freezing lake, occasionally whimpering in distress. When they get to the edge of the icy water, the two of them drop in, and Mike tries not to think about all the infections he’s probably getting right now; if he makes it out of this hell-hole alive only to die from some germ-riddled water, he’s gonna be real pissed off.

All concerns about the grimy lake disappear when long, sharp fingers clench Mike’s ankle, yanking him under. He can’t see anything but the swirling bubbles stirred up by his flailing arms, and the grip on his leg thrusts him backwards towards the shore again. He swims blindly until his hands reach the edge, yanking himself up and crawling behind the wall, breathing hard. He can hear Josh screaming, “You’re not real!” and the shriek of the Wendigo echoes in the chamber. Mike closes his eyes, waiting for the gurgly sound of Josh’s imminent death. They’d been so close to getting out.

But it doesn’t appear that Josh has been brutally dismembered yet. He’s screaming “no!” over and over, and Mike risks a quick glance around the corner. The Wendigo has Josh by the throat, almost like it’s examining him. _Think, Mike, think._

He fumbles in his sopping wet pockets and finds that by some miracle his lighter is still in there. He scans the ground and grabs a large piece of wood. He knows from experience that the Wendigos retreat from fire. If he can just chuck a flaming board at the monster, maybe it will drop Josh and leave.

He doesn’t have time to hesitate, but a little voice in his brain asks him if it’s really worth it to risk his own skin to attempt to save Josh. It might not even work, and then they’ll both be fucked. But then Mike thinks of Josh’s panicked voice asking him not to leave him alone in the shed, and he sets his jaw. He’s not making the same mistake again.

He lights the board, steps forward, and shouts, “Hey, fucker!”

The Wendigo’s head whips in his direction with uncanny speed. Mike stays stock-still. His eyes flicker to Josh, who is writhing in the creature’s -- Hannah’s? -- grip. He knows he has to move quickly. He hurls the torch at the Wendigo, thanking his lucky stars that he was such a good pitcher in high school when it clocks the creature in the face. With a shriek, the Wendigo drops Josh heavily into the water, where he promptly sinks like a stone. Then it scampers away in that creepy, jumpy way they have. Mike shudders, waiting until the monster’s shrieks have faded before hurrying back to the water and treading over to where Josh sank.

Luckily, the water isn’t too deep here; he goes under briefly, fumbling until he feels the strap of Josh’s overalls, and then heaves the other boy up out of the water. Josh’s head flops limply, and Mike panics momentarily before he sees Josh’s chest moving. He’s alive. _Thank fuck._

Mike drags Josh to the other side of the lake, hoisting him onto the shore before pulling himself out as well, breathing hard. He rolls Josh onto his back and slaps his face a couple times.

“C’mon, man, wake up,” he mutters. “We gotta go, let’s go, Josh.”

Josh coughs, water dribbling from his mouth. “Hannah--?” he croaks. He sounds like his throat has just gone through a paper shredder.

“She’s gone, buddy,” Mike says, pulling him to his feet. Josh looks around, legs wobbling. “We gotta walk now, alright? Can you do that for me?”

Josh just stares at him. Mike sighs and grabs Josh’s wrist, leading him like a child back out through the mines. He wishes more than anything that they both could have just hopped on Sam’s back when she climbed up that wall and out of this nightmare.

* * *

As soon as the lodge was in flames, Mike had pawned Josh off on Chris, and the two of them hadn’t interacted since. So he’s honestly not surprised at the look of alarm on Josh’s face when he opens the door to see Mike on his doorstep three months later.

In those three months, Josh has apparently been through rigorous psychotherapy, a very strict medication regimen, and limited contact with the outside world. This information all came to Mike secondhand via Sam, who kept assuring him that Josh seemed far more functional than he had been last time they’d seen each other.

At the moment, Josh just looks a bit terrified. He’s wearing pajama pants and a rumpled T-shirt, and the bags under his eyes are more prominent than ever. “Um?” he says finally.

“Get some shoes on, we’re going to IHOP,” Mike says without preamble. Josh continues to blink owlishly at him. “C’mon, man, don’t just stare at me.”

“...what are you doing here?” Josh asks, hand still firmly gripping the doorknob. He looks ready to slam it in Mike’s face.

“I’m offering to buy you a meal,” Mike says. Josh raises his eyebrows.

“Why?”

“Jesus Christ, Josh, will you just come on?” Mike huffs.

“You’re not gonna leave unless I come with you, are you?” Josh says, resigned. Mike shrugs, and Josh sighs loudly before stepping away from the door. He reappears a moment later with shoes on.

“You gonna wear pajamas to a restaurant?” Mike asks, side-eyeing him as they trudge down the driveway to his car.

“You kidnap me at--” Josh glances at his watch. “--10:30 in the morning, Jesus, and now you expect me to put on pants? Not happening. IHOP will understand.” They get into Mike’s car and pull out, driving in uncomfortable silence. Mike spares a glance at Josh, who is pressed against the window and looks frankly petrified.

“Chill out, man,” he says lamely. Josh’s shoulders slump.

“You know something, Mike, I’ve been trying to chill out for nine years now. Hasn’t really worked out yet,” he says. Mike winces.

“Right. Sam, uh, told me about your medical files she found.”

“Those were private,” Josh says through gritted teeth.

“No offense, dude, but we all kinda caught on to your issues when you dressed up like a killer,” Mike says.

Josh slouches further. “Where are you taking me?” he asks. Mike’s brow furrows.

“IHOP, remember?”

“Oh.” Josh crosses his arms tightly against his chest. “Kinda wondered if you were driving me out to the middle of nowhere to beat the shit out of me or something.”

“Why would I do that?” Mike asks, appalled.

“You don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to pummelling me,” Josh points out. “And, you know, considering we haven’t seen each other since February, I assumed you hated me.”

“That’s… fair, I guess,” Mike says, pulling into the IHOP parking lot. “But I’m not gonna pummel you, Josh. I’m just gonna buy you brunch.”

“Weird, but I’ll take it,” Josh says. They get out of the car, and the waitress only gives Josh’s attire a slightly weirded out look before she seats them in a booth. Mike orders pancakes. Josh orders scrambled eggs. They drink their complimentary water in silence. Mike’s not really sure what he was expecting this to be like, but it’s super awkward. When the food arrives, he’s never been more grateful to see a short-stack of pancakes in his life, if only because it gives him something to do.

“So,” Josh says after a minute, poking at his eggs. “What’s going on, Mike? Why are we here?”

“Thought we could, you know, catch up. Or whatever.” Mike stares determinedly at his plate.

“Uh, why?”

“Because we’re friends?”

Josh snorts. “Oh, sure.”

Mike looks up. Josh’s expression is dark, and he pushes his food around with more aggression. Not that Mike can blame him -- they’re really _not_ friends. But that’s kind of the point of this whole “forcing Josh to have brunch with him” thing.

“Look, bro...” Mike sighs. “I know we’ve never been the best of buds. And I know I’ve done wrong by you, more than once. First with your sisters…” he swallows hard, not missing the way Josh’s fork drops from his hand. “And then when I left you in the shed to get taken, and then in the mines…” he shakes his head. “I almost left you again. And it’s been eating at me, man. For the past three months it’s all I can think about. So… I don’t know. I’m trying to make amends.”

“By taking me on a date?” Josh says, a wry smile on his face. Mike scowls.

“Fuck off,” he says. Josh’s grin widens at Mike’s obvious discomfort. He’s starting to remember the other reasons why he and Josh have never been close; Josh can be a real dick.

“I’m gonna be honest with you, Mike,” Josh says, smile fading. “I kinda wish you’d had this little burst of good conscience _before_ you played a prank on my sister that led to her turning into a demonic mountain creature.” His expression is calm enough, but his knuckle-white grip on the edge of the table tells a different story.

Mike hangs his head. “Yeah. Me too.”

“So, what, you think scrambled eggs is gonna patch everything up? No more bad blood between us? What’s next, you gonna invite me to a sleepover and braid my hair?” Josh says, a definite edge in his voice.

“Come on, man, I’m just trying to--”

“No. You’re trying to make yourself feel better. And I’m supposed to eat some toast and fake a smile so you can sleep better at night, relieved of your guilt. Well guess what, Mike?” he says, leaning forward a little. “My sisters are still fucking dead.”

The words hang heavy in the air between them. Mike rests his elbows on the table, putting his face in his hands. “What do you want me to say?” he asks.

“An apology would be a good start,” Josh says coldly. And that’s when Mike realizes that he never really did apologize to Josh for the role he played in what happened to the twins; he’d said he was sorry it happened, but he’d never said he was sorry he did it. Avoiding admittance of guilt at all costs was one of his strong suits.

“I’m sorry,” he says in a soft voice, face still in his hands. “I’m so sorry for what I did to Hannah, and for what I did to you. I really am.” He lifts his head and sees that the fury in Josh’s eyes has lessened ever so slightly.

“Y’know,” Josh says after a moment. “Back on the mountain, when we were in the mines…” he shakes his head. “I really did think you were gonna leave me to die.”

“I did too, for a minute,” Mike admits. Josh lets out a hollow laugh.

“I still don’t remember everything,” he says. “It’s all kind of a blur, that part of the night. Probably for the best, huh?”

“Probably,” Mike agrees. He watches Josh with some trepidation, waiting for him to snap back to yelling at him. But instead, Josh seems to deflate, leaning back against the vinyl booth and running a hand across his face.

“I can’t believe you rescued me,” he says. “Like, honestly. Why’d you do it?”

Mike clears his throat. That’s a question he’s asked himself more times than he can count. Why _had_ he done it? He could have died, and while he likes to think he’s the kind of person who sticks their neck out for others, really he’s somewhat of a selfish shithead most of the time. “I’d already left you behind once,” he says slowly. “Didn’t seem right to do it again.”

“Huh.” Josh chews on his lip. “Well, I appreciate you not letting me get disemboweled or whatever was about to happen to me.”

“Don’t mention it,” Mike says. He pauses, then adds, “I’ve realized lately that I’m kind of an asshole.”

Josh smiles then, chuckling. “You know something, Mike? I think I’m kind of an asshole, too.”

Mike picks up his mostly empty water glass and holds it in a mock toast. “To being an asshole,” he says.

“To hopefully becoming less of an asshole,” Josh adds, clinking his glass with Mike’s and taking a drink. “You know, this is not nearly as terrible as I expected.”

“Yeah?” Mike says.

“Yeah. I only feel marginally like dying, and I stopped wanting to punch you in the nose, and that’s really the best either of us could hope for, I’d say.”

Mike snorts. “I’ll take it.”

“On our next date, though, I’m picking the restaurant. And the time,” Josh says seriously. “You try to drag my ass out of the house before noon again and I _will_ punch you in the nose.”

“Who says we’re doing this again?” Mike says.

“Oh, Mike, if buying me food is the equivalent to repaying your karmic debt against me, I’d say we have at _least_ fifteen more meals lined up.” Josh looks rather smug. “I ain’t no cheap date, either.”

“I feel like I’m going to regret this,” Mike says with a groan.

“You definitely will. But you’re still gonna do it,” Josh says, shrugging.

He’s not wrong, Mike thinks with a small smile. He decides there are probably much worse ways to spend his time than sitting in a restaurant with Josh.

 


End file.
